Cley Hill facts for kids
Cley Hill is a famous hill in Wiltshire, England. It's located west of a town called Warminster. From its top, you can see amazing views of the border between Wiltshire and Somerset counties. The hill is about 244 metres (801 ft) high. This special land is part of Corsley parish and is owned by the National Trust.
A large part of Cley Hill, about 26.6-hectare (66-acre), is covered in a special type of grass called chalk grassland. Because of its unique nature, this area was named a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1975. This means it's a protected area important for its wildlife and plants. The National Trust takes care of the land. It was given to them in 1954 by the 6th Marquess of Bath.
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Discovering Cley Hill's Past
Cley Hill is not just a pretty place; it's also full of history! People have found many old things here from long ago.
Ancient Hill Fort
One of the most exciting discoveries is a large Iron Age hill fort. This was a big, fortified settlement built by people living in the Iron Age. They used the hill's natural shape to create strong defenses. It shows that Cley Hill was an important place for ancient communities.
Mysterious Burial Mounds
There are also two bowl barrows on the hill. These are ancient burial mounds, like small hills, where people were buried a very long time ago. They give us clues about how people lived and honored their dead thousands of years ago.
Medieval Farm Traces
You can also see traces of medieval strip lynchets. These are long, narrow terraces on the hillside. They were created by farmers hundreds of years ago when they plowed the land. It's like seeing the marks of old farms on the hill!
The Legend of Cley Hill
Cley Hill has a fun and interesting local legend about how it was formed.
The Devil's Journey
The story says that the devil himself created the hill! He was carrying a huge sack of earth. His plan was to use this earth to bury the town of Devizes. He had collected all this earth from Somerset and was on his way to Devizes.
A Change of Plans
As he traveled, the devil stopped near Cley Hill. He saw an old man and decided to ask him how far it was to Devizes. The old man replied that he had been walking for many, many years just to reach Devizes. When the devil heard this, he got tired and frustrated. He decided to give up on his plan to bury the town. So, he simply dropped the huge sack of earth right where he stood. That pile of earth, the legend says, became Cley Hill!
Images for kids
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3D view of the digital terrain model
